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VDE.DOC ------- Instructions for the VDE Editor: version 1.61 (27 Mar 1991) (c)1987-91, E. Meyer Requires: Any 80x86 computer, including PC compatibles; MS/PCDOS 2.x or above. ================================ CONTENTS ================================== 1. ABOUT VDE: A brief description; Copyright and Licensing. 2. QUICK START INSTRUCTIONS: A. Installation, Operating modes, Help. B. Starting and ending an editing session. C. Typing and correcting. D. Moving the cursor. E. The screen and windows. F. Text formatting. G. Searching and replacing. H. Block operations. I. Getting a printout. J. Editing additional files. K. What is a Macro? 3. GENERAL INFORMATION, alphabetically by topic: Accessory programs, Compatibility with word processors, Control key, Directories, Error messages, File modes, Memory, Multitasking environments, Prompts, Spelling checkers. 4. REVIEWS / ABOUT THE AUTHOR. For detailed information on editing commands see the VDE.REF reference file. For the use of the VINST installation utility see the VINST.REF file. =============================== 1. ABOUT VDE =============================== VDE is a small, fast, powerful text editor offering: * easy menu-bar operation or WordStar-compatible command keys * multiple files, windows, cut and paste * block copy, move, delete, read, write, and zoom * find and replace (options for backward, ignore case, reformat) * multiple-level undo to recover unintended deletions * macros with full programming ability * utilities to browse disk directories, split files, compare files, count words, number lists automatically * full DOS access: subdirectories, DOS commands, shell * variable number of text lines and columns displayed on EGA/VGA * automatic save to disk at intervals * programmable function keys and many other user configurable options * ability to run on NON-IBM compatibles, and in limited space But VDE is also an efficient word processor, with: * left and right margins, wordwrap, automatic or manual reformat * variable tabs, auto indent, centering, flush right * right justification, proportional spacing modes * page preview to check format and pagebreaks before printing * customizable printer drivers for special effects (bold, underline, italic, super/subscript, overstrike, pitch, font, etc) * printing options: headers, pagination, selective print, print to file, single sheet feed, address envelopes * multiple file formats and text exchange (including plain ASCII, WordStar, WordPerfect, XyWrite, NotaBene, Microsoft Word) VDE's versatility is due to its combination of the most important word processing features with the simplicity of a small editor designed to work with plain text files, making it an efficient tool for many different tasks. VDE's pure ASCII mode makes it an ideal choice for a DOS file editor, or a practical editor to run from a shell within telecom, database, file maintenance, programming, and other application software. Yet its full formatting and printing features also make VDE a powerful word processor. Commercial programs continue to develop in the direction of "desktop publishing", making elaborate provisions for font variations and page layout, and trying to present a graphic representation of the printed result on screen. This is pretty, but overkill for most purposes; it takes lots of disk space and memory, and slows down and distracts you from your writing. In contrast, VDE is small enough to work well on even the most limited of portable computers, and it is remarkably fast. You can find a phrase, or make a global change, instantly; work gets done faster, and more of it can be done at the keyboard, eliminating unnecessary printouts. The use or sale of VDE is governed by the "COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE" information below. Please read this carefully! FILES Be sure you have all the files which should be included in this package: VDE.COM - The VDE editor itself. VINST.COM - The installation and customizing program. VDE.DOC - This basic instruction file for VDE. VDE.REF - The full Reference Guide for VDE. VINST.REF - The Reference Guide for VINST. VDExxx.UPD - Notes on new features in recent updates of VDE/VINST. VDEOPT.DAT - Optional data file for EGA/VGA screen size changes (AltE). WS4.VDF - Function key definitions for compatibility with WordStar. WP.VDF - Function key definitions for compatibility with WordPerfect. EXAMPLES.VDK - Several macro key definitions from the examples in VDE.REF. CTRLCAPS.COM - Utility to swap Ctrl and CapsLock keys (see CONTROL KEY). COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE INFORMATION The VDE editor and documentation are copyright (c)1987-91 Eric Meyer, all rights reserved worldwide. They may not be circulated in any incomplete or modified form, nor sold for profit, without written permission of the author. The use or sale of VDE is subject to the following terms: SITE LICENSES. Any company or institution wishing to use VDE in the course of its business must purchase a SITE LICENSE. The cost of the license is quite modest, and varies according to the number of computers on which VDE may be in use in the workplace: COPIES COST Up to 20 ..... $50 (US) 50 ..... $100 100 ..... $150 200 ..... $200 Over 200 ..... $1 per copy The purchaser of a site license receives several benefits: * A copy of the latest version of VDE on disk direct from the author. (Specify 5.25" 360k or 3.5" 720k disk.) * Support. You can get help with any questions or problems you encounter in using VDE. Future upgrades can be ordered on disk when desired. * No piracy worries. Your employees may use VDE at home and share it with others at no charge. PERSONAL USE. There is no required fee for personal use of VDE. However, if you like and continue to use VDE, you are encouraged to register, and help support the development of high-quality, affordable software: INDIVIDUAL REGISTRATION ..... $30 (US) The user who chooses to register receives several benefits: * A copy of the latest version of VDE on disk direct from the author. (Specify 5.25" 360k or 3.5" 720k disk.) * Support. You can get help with any questions or problems you encounter in using VDE. Future upgrades can be ordered on disk when desired. * A document to verify the legality of your personal use of VDE at your workplace as well. COMMERCIAL SALE. Any software dealer or library may offer VDE for sale, as long as the price charged for the disk containing VDE does not exceed US $6. With this single exception, the sale of VDE, either alone or together with other software or hardware, requires a licensing agreement. Please write for terms. ORDERING AND SOURCES. Site licenses and individual registrations may be ordered directly from the author (see address below), by check or money order in US currency; purchase orders are also accepted. Credit card orders (VISA,MC,AmEx,Discover) may be made through the Public Software Library: phone (800)242-4775 or (713)524-6394, FAX (713)524-6398, CompuServe [71355,470]. Mention item #10303. (There is a $5 surcharge for this service.) VDE is distributed widely through "shareware" channels. Users with a modem can download the latest version as the archive file VDExxx.ZIP, available from either of the two primary distribution points: (1) Glendale Litera BBS - Glendale, CA (818)956-6164. (2) On CompuServe, in download library 1 (DL1) of the IBMAPP forum. In addition, VDE is available on a wide variety of other remote systems, and by mail from many good software libraries, including the Public Software Library, P.O. Box 35705, Houston TX 77235. (Disk #1933) Please write for further information about VDE, including production and availability of foreign language versions. Address correspondence to: Eric Meyer 3541 Smuggler Way CompuServe: [74415,1305] Boulder, Colorado 80303 USA Internet: 74415.1305@compuserve.com THE CUSTOMARY DISCLAIMER: You undertake to use VDE at your own risk. The author does not warrant the suitability of VDE for any particular purpose, and assumes no liability for damages of any kind resulting from its use. ======================= 2. QUICK START INSTRUCTIONS ======================== This introduction is intended to give beginning users a quick start on editing with VDE, including the most basic and common commands. Throughout, you will find ticklers like "(See SYNTAX)" which lead you to a more complete explanation in the VDE.REF or VINST.REF file. ------------------ A. INSTALLATION, OPERATING MODES, HELP ------------------ INSTALLATION Most users will have an IBM compatible computer, and can begin editing with VDE straightaway. Before long, though, you should use the VINST program to customize the display and many other options to your tastes. (Once you have done this to your copy of VDE.COM, the welcome/copyright screen that displays when you first enter VDE will no longer appear.) However, if your computer is not 100% IBM-compatible, you should run VINST immediately, and perform the computer installation before using VDE. (VDE will run on any MSDOS system with an ANSI.SYS driver.) VDE operates by default in Command mode. If you want to get started using the simplified menu system, you must change this with VINST (or remember to use the Esc? command each time you enter VDE). You will eventually discover the settings you prefer for the many other options and defaults, as you become more familiar with VDE. [See VINST.REF for details. Comments below in brackets "[]" point out various uses of VINST.] OPERATING MODES VDE has two distinct modes of operation: (1) MenuBar mode. (2) Command mode. Command mode ultimately offers the greatest power, flexibility, and speed, but it can take some time to learn the commands. MenuBar mode allows a user not familiar with these commands to get started using VDE immediately, and will appeal to those who are new to computers or word processing, who will use VDE only occasionally, or who simply prefer not to memorize commands. Most VDE commands also work in MenuBar mode. (Esc-key commands must be accessed via the {Misc:Escape} item, since [Esc] itself summons the MenuBar.) If you see the message "Esc=MenuBar" at the right end of the header line, you are in MenuBar mode. If this area is blank, you are in Command mode. To switch into MenuBar mode from Command mode, use the Esc? command; to switch to Command from MenuBar mode, select {Misc:Command mode} (Esc,M,C). (1) MenuBar mode guides you straightforwardly to the functions you need. Suppose you want to underline a string of text in your file. Just press [Esc], and the main "menu bar" will appear: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Delete moVe Text stYle Set sCreen Print Block File Misc User Exit ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Underlining is a matter of type "stYle", so type "Y" (the highlighted letter) to bring up the style menu bar, which gives choices "Underline", "Bold", etc. Finally, select "U" for underline; the code will be inserted in the text. In the text below, MenuBar commands will be referred to in the following manner: {stYle:Underline} This designates selecting st"Y"le, then "U"nderline from the menu bar sequence (you actually type Esc,Y,U). Most (though not all) of VDE's functions are available from the menu bars. [Others can be added to the User menu bar.] You can also begin learning the VDE command set in MenuBar mode, since the standard commands (such as ^PS for underlining) also work. (2) Control-key commands (WordStar compatible), although they do need to be memorized, are more concise, and give access to the full range of VDE features, including powerful macros. If you're familiar with the popular WordStar command set already, you can probably start right in editing files with VDE. It uses simple one- or two-key combinations, for example: ^QC which means "Hold down [Ctrl] while pressing Q, then press C", or AltD which means "Hold down [Alt] while pressing D". Many of these are mnemonic (^Q for Quick movements, etc), though some are not. Their advantage is that all are easily found by the touch typist without distraction -- no groping for function keys or mice interrupts the writing process. This largely accounts for the continuing popularity of the WordStar word processor, which (despite being a decade old) is still widely used throughout the world. In addition to many WordStar-standard commands, VDE has a number of Alt-key and Esc-key commands to invoke its additional features, such as multi-file editing. (See COMMAND SUMMARY.) HELP ON-LINE HELP: You can get a brief reminder of the command set anytime you like by pressing ^J or [F1] for help. A summary of the simple control-key commands will appear; press A, E, K, O, P, or Q to display the Alt-key, Esc- key, ^K, ^O, ^P, or ^Q-commands instead (or J to return to the original screen). Once you have found the information you needed, press [Esc] or [Space] to exit from the help menu. THE MANUAL: if you need more extensive help while learning to use VDE, turn to the manual (the three .DOC and .REF files). It is distributed on disk, rather than in printed and bound form, for two reasons: (1) It's easier to search for help electronically than to flip through a printed index. Simply edit the file with VDE and use the find command (^QF or {moVe:Find}) to locate the information you need instantly. You can even load VDE.REF as an additional file along with your own writing work. Then, if you can't recall, say, how to use auto indent mode, one keystroke can take you to the manual to search for the term "indent". (2) It saves trees, the pollution of paper production, and the choking of landfills with waste paper. Not everyone will need or want a printed copy of the manual. Of course, if you do, you can use VDE to print out any portion of it that you desire, to have for reference at your desk. ---------------- B. STARTING AND ENDING AN EDITING SESSION ----------------- Let's suppose that you have VDE.COM in a directory called C:\EDIT. The simplest way to run VDE is to type its name at the DOS prompt: C:\EDIT>vde When you do this, you will be presented with an empty file, called "untitled", to write in. Feel free to type in some text, use the arrow keys to move around, or experiment with any of the commands described below. If you already have a disk file that you would like to review or modify, you simply need to provide its name, for example: C:\EDIT>vde my.doc or C:\EDIT>vde \autoexec.bat /n In the first example, the file MY.DOC is found in the current directory (C:\EDIT), and is loaded in the default file mode, which is "/A", or ASCII document. ("ASCII" actually denotes the numeric code system used by MSDOS to represent text characters; here, "an ASCII file" means a file containing only plain text, as opposed to the proprietary codes of many word processors.) In the second example, the file AUTOEXEC.BAT is found in the root directory of drive C: (note the "\"), and the following option "/N" loads it as a NON- document (a file consisting of fixed lines, rather than paragraphs of text). You can also specify other files to edit concurrently, and data files (key definition, printer driver, etc) to load. (See SYNTAX.) VDE can edit many different types of files: non-documents, such as batch files or program source code; or documents with formatted text, in either pure ASCII or formats compatible with WordStar, WordPerfect, XyWrite, NotaBene, Microsoft Word, and other word processors. (See FILE MODES, COMPATIBILITY.) Maximum file size is roughly 80k (80,000 characters). If an existing file is too large to edit with VDE, it can be divided up (see SPLITTING FILES). VDE gives you an informative "header line" at the top of the screen, including the file name, the current position (by page, line, and column), and cryptic little "flags" showing the status of various editing options. (For details see HEADER.) At times, further information may be provided below this by various menus or error messages; press [Esc] or [Space] to remove these. If any commands require user input, a "prompt" line (like "New value:") will appear below the header. You can change the name or file mode associated with your current work (which is visible in the header) at any time with the command: ^KE or {File:rEname work} (If you issue a command to save an "untitled" file to disk, VDE will automatically prompt you to rename it first.) It is important to understand that VDE works entirely IN MEMORY: nothing happens on disk until you issue a command to save your work. There are several different commands to exit from VDE or to select a new file to work on, but the two most basic ones are: ^KX or {Exit:eXit w/save} and ^KQ or {Exit:Quit w/o save} The first is the normal way to end your editing session; the second is also available in case you decide, for example, that you've made mistakes and do not wish them saved as modifications to the file you were working on. Both commands will return you to the DOS prompt. (Others allow you to remain in VDE to edit another file; see SAVE/EXIT.) "Backup files" are a good way to guard against losing earlier work. When you save your latest work on MY.DOC, the previous version of the file is not lost: it is renamed MY.BAK. Thus, if you decide that the recent changes were a mistake, you can recover the previous text from the BAK file. [If you prefer to save disk space, you can choose not to preserve BAK files.] ------------------------- C. TYPING AND CORRECTING ------------------------- One source of potential confusion to new users of an editor concerns the simplest operation: What happens when you type a character? Obviously, the character will appear in your file, and the cursor will advance; but there can be further effects as well. Check the header to see whether the "Ins" flag is visible. If so, you are in "insert mode"; any text to the right will be carried along unharmed ahead of the cursor. If not, you are in "overstrike mode", and any characters typed will REPLACE existing ones. (There is yet a third "word insert" mode; see INSERTING.) You can toggle from insert to overstrike mode with the simple command: ^V or [Ins] Some people like to use overstrike mode (which is most like a typewriter) when writing a first draft, and insert mode when revising; others prefer to remain in insert mode all the time. You will discover which approach suits your own writing habits. You will often need to correct mistakes, and the computer makes this very easy. Besides simply overtyping, there are many commands to remove unwanted text from the file (see DELETING). The most commonly used are: ^G, ^[BkSp], [Del], and [BkSp] ^G deletes the character at the cursor. Normally, [Del] or ^[BkSp] deletes the one before it, while [BkSp] moves the cursor left nondestructively, but this can be changed. [VINST can specify that [Del] should delete the character AT the cursor, or that [BkSp] DELETE the previous one, if desired.] Another command, useful for deleting larger amounts of text, removes the entire line that the cursor is on: ^Y or {Delete:del Line} Of course, you can make mistakes even in correcting mistakes: you might accidentally delete text that you wanted to keep. This is where the ability to "undelete", or recover deleted text, comes in, with the command: ^U or {Delete:Undelete} Use this command immediately after the deletion accident. If you deleted a block, it will be replaced. If you were deleting lines, words, or characters, or overtyping characters, you can press ^U repeatedly to recover each previous deletion in order. --------------------------- D. MOVING THE CURSOR --------------------------- Obviously, you need to be able to move the cursor around, in order to add or delete text at different places in the file. The simplest way is with the "arrow keys" on the IBM keyboard (or the WordStar "cursor diamond"), [^] ^E [<] [>] or ^S ^D [v] ^X which will move the cursor (as you might expect) up, down, left, or right. Notice that the cursor moves within the TEXT, not simply at will on the SCREEN: if you move to the right past the end of a line, you will find yourself at the start of the next. If you move up or down to a shorter line, the cursor will wind up at the end of the line, not beyond it. Remember that the screen is a window into the text, and that window can be shifted at need. If you move the cursor beyond the edge of the display, it will "scroll" (horizontally or vertically) to show the text you moved to. Once you have a sizable amount of text, there are many further commands to allow you to move around more rapidly (see MOVING AROUND). The most common are: ^A and ^F or ^[<] and ^[>] to move the cursor back and forth an entire word at a time; and ^R and ^C or [PgUp] and [PgDn] These commands move the cursor up and down through the text by about one screenful, causing the display to scroll. In addition, ^QR and ^QC or ^[Home] and ^[End] may be used to move instantly to the top or the end of the file, respectively. ------------------------ E. THE SCREEN AND WINDOWS ------------------------- VDE normally presents you with a header line and a screen full of text, 24 lines of 80 columns. There are many things you can do to change the size (on EGA/VGA systems) or appearance of this display, or to cause it to "scroll", showing a different portion of the text (see SCREEN CONTROLS). One command that can be helpful for aligning text is: ^OT or {User:Ruler} [unless changed] This adds a "ruler line" below the header, indicating margins, tab stops, and the current cursor column. (See RULER.) If you think of the screen as a "window" into your text, you can imagine splitting it in half and having windows into two different portions of text at once. This is a very powerful tool for comparison, revision, and other purposes (see WINDOWS). There are two commands to produce such a split window: ^OW [can be installed in {User} menubar] and AltW or {sCreen:Window} The first allows you to examine two areas of the SAME file at once; the second shows you two DIFFERENT files. In either case, once you have two windows on screen, the command: AltF or {sCreen:Other win} is used to move the cursor back and forth from one window to the other. (An imitation "cursor" remains in the inactive window to mark your place.) Like many other VDE commands, the window commands are "toggles": if you want to get rid of the split window, use the same command a second time to remove it. --------------------------- F. TEXT FORMATTING ----------------------------- VDE can format text in a document, partially or entirely automatically, while you write. In addition, existing text can be instantly reformatted in a variety of ways. (For full details see MARGINS, SPACING, JUSTIFICATION, REFORMAT, AUTO FORMAT.) The fundamental thing, of course, is to keep the text within the desired margins. The left and right margin columns can be set with the commands: ^OL, ^OR or {Text:margin L,R} Typical margins are 1, 66 for pica type, or 1, 78 for elite; you can vary them as desired, however, and mix different formats in a single file. This left margin command is ordinarily used only for indenting portions of a text. To specify the physical margin that should always be left at the edge of the paper when printing, see the left margin setting in PRINTER INSTALLATION. Once margins are set, WORDWRAP occurs automatically. If you type past the right margin, the word will be moved to the next line; if you type outside the left margin, the cursor will advance to it. If you need to type outside the current margins, change them or RELEASE them with the command: ^OX or {Text:Mrgn rel} Wordwrap will format your text properly as you type; but notice that if you go back to make additions or deletions afterward, these will often leave short or overlong lines, disrupting the flow of the paragraph. There is a simple command to fix this: ^B or {Text:rEform} This will cause the entire paragraph to be reformatted. Note that you can also use this command after changing margins or spacing, to reshape the text to the new format. The first line of a paragraph may be indented in any way desired, and reformatting will preserve this. If you prefer, however, VDE can make the reformatting process completely automatic, with the command: ^OM or {Text:auto fmT} When this is on, the "AF" flag appears in the header, and manual reformatting is no longer necessary: VDE will continually reformat the text as you edit; if you change the margins, you will instantly see the result. With auto format, you need to be a bit careful about mixing different formats, since there will be a tendency for text to get reformatted to the CURRENTLY set margins and spacing, which may differ from those in effect when it was written, whenever you modify it. (If you goof and allow this to happen, simply reset things as they should have been to restore the format before continuing.) A different feature makes it easy to write neatly formatted lists or outlines with VDE, without constantly having to change the left margin. Auto Indent mode is entered with the command: ^OA or {Text:auto Indent} You will see the "AI" flag in the header, and the behavior of wordwrap (and the [Ret] key) will be changed in order to preserve the indentation and structure of existing text. Each time the cursor wraps over to the next line, it will indent automatically to match the previous line of text. (Auto indent does work in non-documents as well; see AUTO INDENT.) You may find it useful to know a little about how VDE handles text. Many word processors store special hidden codes in a file to indicate paragraph boundaries or changes of format, and calculate the result each time the text is to be displayed or printed. VDE, however, uses no such codes; it actually formats the text according to your request, and stores it that way in a simple text file. VDE's ability to reformat text in a document depends upon a subtle distinction: when wordwrap occurs, a space is left at the end of the line, which indicates that the CR (Carriage Return) is "SOFT", introduced (and later removable) for formatting purposes. On the other hand, when you actually hit [Ret] to end a paragraph, you get a CR with no preceding space, which means it is "HARD", a permanent boundary for formatting the paragraph. (A little arrow appears at the end of the line to indicate this.) Exercise care when typing at the end of a line: you can change a hard CR into a soft one, or vice versa, by deleting or adding a space at the end of the line. (Note: this means that [Ret] is NOT a key to use simply to move downward through the file. It will do that, but will harden all the CRs as well, obstructing future reformatting.) ---------------------- G. SEARCHING AND REPLACING -------------------------- One of the simplest, but most powerful, features of an editor is the ability to find a given string of text in the file, and perhaps to replace it with another. To find the next occurrence of a particular character or phrase, type: ^QF or {moVe:Find} You will be asked for the string to find (and any options desired); the cursor will move to that location in the file. (You may instead see an error message if the string cannot be found.) You will find yourself using this command constantly, for example to look up information, or to move to a desired location in the file. Automatic replacement is also very convenient. Suppose you have prepared a study of the usefulness of "whatsits" in your business, only to discover that the preferred term is actually "widgets"; or written a memo to "John" which should have gone to "Ann". One simple command can make such changes: ^QA or {moVe:Replace} You will be asked for the string to find, and then the string to replace it with. The cursor will be placed in succession on each occurrence of the string, starting at the cursor location. (You will see the prompt "Chg?" in the header.) To change this instance, press "Y"; pressing "N" skips to the next with no change. To change all further instances without being asked individually, press "*" instead. [Esc] cancels at any time. There are several options for find and replace; after you enter the text string(s), you will be prompted to select them. Just press [Ret] again to skip the options for now -- or, if you want to experiment, try one of these: "B" = search Backward through the file, instead of forward. "U" = case insensitive search - ignores upper/lower case, so "corp" will match "Corp", "CORP", etc. For further details, see FIND/REPLACE. If you want to continue the last find or replace operation without typing the strings in all over again, you can use the simpler command: ^L or {moVe:rEpeat f/r} This can be used, for example, repeatedly to find the particular occurrence of a string that you want. --------------------------- H. BLOCK OPERATIONS ---------------------------- Editing often requires you to move or eliminate an entire "block" of text, and VDE has a set of commands to allow you to do this easily. First, of course, you have to "mark" the block, by defining its beginning and end. This is done (in either order) with a pair of commands: ^KB, ^KK or {Block:Begin, End} When the first marker is placed, you will see it as a bracket "{}" in the text. When both are in place, the block is properly "marked", and its text will be shown in a contrasting color (on IBM compatibles). You are now ready to operate on the block with a wide variety of commands (see BLOCK COMMANDS, AUTO NUMBER, PRINTING, UPPER/LOWERCASE). The most common commands are to copy, move, or delete the block. Copying is done by moving the cursor where you want the copy put, and using: ^KC or {Block:Copy} An exact duplicate of the text within the block will appear at this location. Moving the block is (similarly) done by moving the cursor where you want the block put, and using: ^KV or {Block:Move} Now the marked block itself is brought to the current location from its previous one. Notice that the cursor must be located OUTSIDE the block for either of these commands to work. Finally, you can simply delete the block with the command: ^KY or {Delete:del Block} (Of course, like all deletions, it can be recovered with ^U if need be.) -------------------------- I. GETTING A PRINTOUT --------------------------- The first thing to know about printouts is how to avoid unnecessary ones. Computers were supposed to reduce the use of paper in offices, by storing information electronically; instead they have led to an enormous increase in consumption. VDE is designed to minimize the need for printing drafts of your work; you can move around the file and make corrections so quickly that it is easier to edit at the keyboard in the first place than to mark up printed copy by hand, then type in the corrections. It also offers a simple command to check the alignment and pagination of text on screen before printing, to avoid mistakes: ^OD or {sCreen:Preview} In preview mode, you can scroll through the file, examining it as it will print: printer codes are hidden to show the actual alignment of text columns, and pagebreaks are shown as dotted lines. (See PAGE PREVIEW.) Printing is potentially a very complex matter: different printers work in different ways; page layout has to be chosen; various effects can be used to emphasize portions of the text; and so on. But for your first attempt, after turning your printer on, simply use the print command: ^KP or {Print:Print file} There are many options available to select header text, number location, the portion of the file to print, and so on (see PRINTING). You can print on any size paper or label, or address an envelope (see ENVELOPES). But for now, just ignore all this -- turn your printer on, press [Ret] at the prompt, and see what happens! (If you don't like the results, or if it's a long file and will take forever, simply press [Esc] to interrupt and cancel.) The default "printer drivers" are IBM/EPSON and SIMPLE; the latter should work on virtually any printer, but is not capable of many special effects. The VINST utility can be used to change to a driver which will support the full capabilities of your particular printer, or to customize any driver for your preferred page layout (see PRINTER DRIVERS and INSTALLATION). There are various "printer codes" that you can place in your file to produce different effects. One that's particularly useful is: ^PL or {Print:Formfeed} - causes a pagebreak at that location. (Watch the page/line counts in the header as you do this; you will see that a new page now begins there. This file itself contains pagebreaks.) In addition, two of the printer "toggles" will work with any printer driver, including SIMPLE: ^PS or {stYle:Underline} - underline. ^PX - strikeout. These toggles must be inserted pairwise, to mark the beginning and end of the affected text; for example, you type: This is how you get ^PSunderlined^PS text. and you see: This is how you get underlined text. Toggles display onscreen as a highlighted letter ("S", "X", etc). Similarly, further effects such as boldface, italic, and super/subscripts, are possible with more specialized printer drivers. (See PRINTER CODES.) ----------------------- J. EDITING ADDITIONAL FILES ------------------------ Another extremely powerful feature of VDE is its ability to edit several files at once. This makes it easy to compare files, make consistent changes, move text from one to another, and so on. (See MULTIPLE FILES and WINDOWS.) Once you are editing with VDE, an additional file can be loaded (up to a total of 8) with the command: AltL or {File:Add file} After doing this you will see the flag "+" in the header, to remind you that more than one file is being edited. Think of these files as waiting in line for your attention; to bring a different file onto the screen (or current window), use: AltB, AltN or {File:Prev, Next file} to move back and forth through the sequence. Several other commands are especially useful when editing more than one file, like cut and paste: AltC, AltP or {Block:cuT, Paste} These are actually an alternative set of block copying commands, with the added ability to move text from one file to another. The cut command copies a marked block of text into an internal buffer (it isn't deleted from the file, though you can use the block delete command if you like afterward). From then on it can be inserted at will, into any file being edited, using the paste command. --------------------------- K. WHAT IS A MACRO? ---------------------------- "Macros" are a sophisticated and powerful tool for automating repetitive tasks -- but forget that for now, if it will help avoid the temptation to think of them as a toy for computer-programmer types only. Any VDE user can find something practical to do with them. Suppose you're writing a document that will have different sets of margins in it -- say, 1 to 66 for ordinary text, and 10 to 58 for indented quotations. You're going to wind up using the ^OL and ^OR commands every time the margins have to change (and trying to remember whether it was 58 and 66, or 56 and 68). Sounds pretty tedious... which is a hint that there's a better way to do it, with a macro. Each margin change would require you to type something like: ^O L 1 0 [Ret] ^O R 5 8 [Ret] But you can define a macro that does exactly that, and then store it to a key for use whenever you need it! So try out the Macro Record command: Esc " (NOTE: if you were in MenuBar mode, the [Esc] called up the menu bar! Select {Misc:Escape}, then type the quote (").) You will see a quote-mark flag appear at the right side of the header. Now type exactly that sequence of commands, ^OL10 [Ret] ^OR58 [Ret], while VDE is recording them (be careful not to make any typos). Then, to end, type Esc " again: VDE asks "Use now or Store?" and you reply: "S" (since you want to Store this to a key for later use) VDE asks "Make Quiet, No-repeat, Both?" and you reply: "B" (sounds nice, doesn't it? See MACROS to learn why) VDE asks "Store to key:" and you press: [F2] (for example) You just defined a macro and stored it to a function key! Now every time you press [F2] the margins will be instantly reset to 10, 58. Obviously you could do the same thing for margins 1, 66, and store that on another key; and you'd be all set to change from one set to the other with a single keystroke. If you were going to be writing this sort of document all the time, you would eventually want to use VINST to define those keys permanently in your copy of VDE.COM. VDE macros can get a lot more complicated than this, but those I use most often myself are of exactly this simple sort. Now that the concept has been demystified, here is a little more explanation: A "macro" is a string of VDE commands and/or text that you can type in once and then have repeated automatically. The "macro definition" command Esc[ lets you type in such a string quickly and directly; the "macro record" command Esc" memorizes the string while you use it as you normally would in editing. A "function key" is a macro stored to one of the [F1]...[F12] function keys, while a "macro key" is a macro stored to a key combination Esc0...9 or EscA...Z; these can all be defined temporarily while editing, or permanently with VINST. "Macro programming" involves the use of special commands which perform more complex operations including loops, tests, and jumps, much like a programming language. (See MACROS.) Macros execute EXACTLY as though you had typed the given keys yourself; this means that every keystroke, including answers to prompts, [Ret]s, and so on, must be properly included, so plan ahead carefully, with pen and paper if necessary. You can use virtually any commands, though for a start you could experiment with text phrases and simple formatting changes (try creating a personalized letterhead). VDE's 84 user-definable macros allow you to customize it for any task, such as the formatting requirements of specialized professional writing, or many programming languages. (See MACRO and FUNCTION KEYS.) ========================== 3. GENERAL INFORMATION ========================== ACCESSORY PROGRAMS - A variety of other programs can be used together with VDE to enhance its usefulness for particular applications. VDE does not include a spelling checker or thesaurus; however, many such programs (both commercial and shareware) can work with it. See SPELLING CHECKERS. If you need sorting functions, from alphabetizing lists to maintaining simple flatfile databases, various programs can be used, including Michael Mefford's excellent free PCSORT utility (described in the 27 Nov 1990 issue of PC Magazine, and available on PCMagNet). For academic and technical writing, I have a footnote/endnote formatting utility for WordStar files that could easily be adapted for use with VDE. Please write if you are interested. A variety of accessory programs have been developed for VDE by other authors. They are available through shareware channels, including CompuServe and Glendale Litera BBS. Their mention here constitutes no guarantee or obligation by the author of VDE: VDE-ED (by Patrick Swayne) is an operating "shell" that adds a number of features to VDE, including on-screen display of function key labels. VDE-MC (by Evan Slawson) is a utility for macro/function key definition files that translates them from the unreadable .VDK/.VDF format used by VDE and VINST, to an easily read and edited text file (and back). VDE-BC (by Ed Keefe) is a set of key definitions to produce Big Characters (3 lines high) and interesting graphic borders in VDE files. VDE-SP (by Fred Haines) is a set of key definitions designed to make VDE a word processor dedicated to writing stage or screen scripts. RJ (by Tom Kallal) is a utility that can right-justify any text file before printing. This could be convenient for those who want right- justified printouts without formatting their text that way in VDE. COMPATIBILITY - VDE is "compatible", to various degrees, with many other word processors, including WordStar, WordPerfect, XyWrite, NotaBene, and Microsoft Word, and can be a handy accessory for users of these programs. VDE also produces standard ASCII text files, which can be read by virtually all software. (See FILE MODES.) ASCII - Standard ASCII text files produced by many programs can be edited by VDE in /A, /U, or /N file mode. However, these files usually do not follow VDE's text formatting conventions, so they will probably appear to be full of hard CRs, and therefore impossible to reformat. There are two easy ways to solve this problem: first, you can use ^QA to find "^M"s and selectively replace them with "_^M". But the best method is to use a macro program (this is one of the definitions in EXAMPLES.VDK, and described under MACRO PROGRAMMING.) WORDSTAR - Highly compatible. /W file mode supports WS version 3 and 4 file format. /5 file mode also removes all the additional WS 5 embedded codes (fonts, notes, etc) not supported in VDE. Except for these, document files can be exchanged freely between VDE and WS. VDE's operation will seem very familiar to a WordStar user. There is no "No-File" menu; some WS commands are lacking; and VDE has new ones of its own. VDE's macro commands are completely different (they were developed before WS had macros!). Aside from that, there are small differences in other commands, including indenting and place marks. Note that VDE does not obey WS "dot commands" in text, though in /W or /5 mode it will avoid printing them. WORDPERFECT - Limited compatibility. /P file mode READS files created by WP versions 4 or 5; it recognizes margin changes, and print codes for bold, underline, super/subscript, and overstrike. Formatting features not supported will be removed. /P mode WRITES files that can be read by WP as native text. You can also edit in VDE using a command set much like WordPerfect's, by using the WP.VDF key definition file. It causes the [F]-keys to call up the MenuBar in a manner similar to WP's command structure. XYWRITE/NOTABENE - Limited compatibility. /X mode READS files created by XW/NB; it recognizes margin changes, and print codes for bold, underline, and italics. Formatting features not supported will be removed. /X mode WRITES files that can be read by XW as native text. (Note: /U mode can also be used to read XW/NB files without processing or filtering out formatting codes.) MICROSOFT WORD - Limited compatibility. /M mode READS files created by MSW version 5; it does not support any print effects or formatting features. /M mode WRITES text that can be read by MSW as native text. NOTE: /P, /X, and /M modes are intended for simple, convenient exchange of text, with a limited set of print effects. Users with more demanding requirements for file compatibility and translation should investigate commercial programs such as Software Bridge or Word for Word. CONTROL KEY (CTRLCAPS) - VDE's extensive use of the [Ctrl] key may be awkward for users with "enhanced" keyboards, where [CapsLock] has usurped its normal place to the left of the "A" key. Use the CTRLCAPS utility provided to swap the functions of these keys, restoring [Ctrl] to its proper place. This is a memory resident utility (TSR); do not load it from within VDE or any other program. Once loaded, to toggle the swapping of the two keys on and off, type CTRLCAPS again. (Note: if you use other TSRs which intercept the keyboard interrupt, CTRLCAPS must be installed last of all. Otherwise it may not work consistently, and a toggle attempt will load a duplicate of the TSR.) DIRECTORIES - When editing with VDE, you can always specify a directory along with a filename. Otherwise, the default directory assumed by the file commands (^KL,^KR,^KE,^KF,^KJ; AltL) is that of the current file; when editing multiple files, it can differ from one to the next. The directory does not display in the header, but is shown by ^KI or the ^KF prompt. The current DOS directory remains unchanged, and it is the default when using the AltR command. (It can be changed with CHDIR under AltR.) VDE will return to this directory when exiting. You can use the DOS "SET" command to designate a special "VDE directory" where associated files (VDEOPT.DAT, *.VDx) can be kept, for example: C:\>SET VDE=C:\UTIL (This command can be put in your AUTOEXEC.BAT.) If such files are referenced on the command line (see SYNTAX) or with the AltU command (see ACCESSORY FILES), and are not found in the current or specified directory, VDE will look for them here. ERROR MESSAGES - Press [Esc] or [Space] to continue. "Error" - invalid data entered, or inappropriate command. "Invalid Key" - an illegal command key sequence was pressed. "Not Available" - the required hardware or software is not present. "Invalid Name/Path" - nonexistent path, duplicate filename, or excluded type. "No File" - requested file does not exist. "I/O Error" - read or write error, disk full, invalid drive, etc. "Format Error" - word too long, or margins invalid. "Not Found" - the object of a search was not found. "Block Error" - there is no marked block (or the cursor is in it). "Macro Error" - programming command misused, or recording overflow. "Graphics Overflow" - too many graphics in file to fit in table. "File Near Full" - this file has less than 1K memory free for editing. "Out of Memory" - file, block, or string won't fit in available memory. IMPORTANT NOTE: On DOS version 2.x systems, an attempt to access an empty disk drive or to print when the printer is not online can produce a critical error message directly from DOS, something like: "Device not ready; Ignore, Retry, or Abort?" If this should happen, correct the situation and press "R" for Retry. Pressing "I" usually has no effect. DO NOT PRESS "A", as this will exit from VDE back to DOS, losing all text in memory! If, after recovering from such an error, the message is still on screen, you can press ^OZ,Esc to redisplay your text. FILE MODES - VDE has nine "file modes": "A"SCII, "W"ordStar, WordStar "5", Word"P"erfect, "X"yWrite, "M"icrosoft Word, or "U"nformatted document; and "C"-source and "N"on-document. In general, the document modes all have wordwrap and pagination, and default to variable tabs; non-documents (/N) do not have wordwrap or pagination, and default to hard tabs. C-source (/C) is a non-document, but defaults to variable tabs and auto-indent. The file mode option can be specified along with the filename at any VDE file function prompt (such as "Read in file:"), allowing you to read or write text in whatever format needed. [The default mode is /A, but this can be changed, and exceptions declared, with VINST.] Most VDE users will select /A mode for documents (word processing, with formatted text) or /N mode for nondocuments. /C mode offers tabs and indentation for structured programming languages like C or Pascal. There is also /U mode, which writes a document without any carriage returns except at the ends of paragraphs, a format used by some other software. These four modes use plain ASCII text, which is produced or accepted by virtually all software (DOS, compilers, database, telecom, etc). The /W, /5, /P, /X, and /M modes allow VDE to read and write WordStar 3/4, WordStar 5, WordPerfect, XyWrite or NotaBene, and Microsoft Word files (see COMPATIBILITY). CONVERSION: You can easily use VDE to mix text from several different formats, or to convert a file from one format into another. Just specify the appropriate mode with each file loaded or read in, or change to the appropriate mode (with ^KE) before saving. (Note limits on supported features in each format.) MEMORY - VDE allocates memory for each file according to need, up to a maximum of 64k. (1k = 1024 bytes.) Due to the use of a compression technique, the largest file that can be edited with VDE is roughly 80k. VDE works well with anywhere from 128k to 640k RAM; the number and size of files you can edit depends on the amount of memory you have free. (VDE does not use extended memory.) If you are running short of memory while editing, try exiting files you no longer need, or cutting (AltC) an empty block to empty the cut buffer. Running a DOS command requires enough free memory (beyond VDE's usage) to load a copy of COMMAND.COM and any programs you intend to run under it. You may not have enough memory to do this if you are already running VDE in a shell from another program, or are editing many files with VDE, or have lots of memory-resident software (TSRs). MULTITASKING ENVIRONMENTS - VDE should be compatible with multitasking environments, including DesqView. In order for VDE to run properly in a DesqView window, you must identify it as a "program that writes directly to the screen". PROMPTS - First, VDE has several simple prompts requiring you to confirm an action by typing "Y" or "N". These warning messages appear on line 1 (though they are NOT given when a macro is running): "Abandon changes?" - a file you want to quit has been changed. "Unchanged; save?" - a file you want saved hasn't been changed. "File exists; overwrite?" - such a file already exists and will be lost. "Not recoverable; delete?" - not enough memory to save block for undeletion. These confirmation prompts appear at the right edge of the header: "Chg?" - change this instance of a string? (Y/N/*) "Rdy" - ready, press a key to print next page (Esc quits). There are a number of standard prompts for either numeric or string input, like "Column:" or "Find string:". The following control keys operate: Correct error: [BkSp] (^H) Finish entry: [Ret] (^M) or ^J Replay last filename: ^R (except Esc[ command) Erase entire entry: ^X Abort operation: [Esc] (except Esc[ command) or ^U Note that to get any of these codes into the string itself, you must precede it with ^P (this includes ^P). EXAMPLE: to find a line beginning with a "*" (find "^M,*") type ^QF ^P[Ret] * [Ret]. Graphics can also be entered into strings using Alt-G. SPELLING CHECKERS. VDE will work with many spelling checker/thesaurus packages, including such commercial programs as Webster's Professional, Borland's Turbo Lightning, and Trigram's MicroSpell, and Acropolis' inexpensive shareware program Share Spell. Such programs can interface with VDE in one of two ways: (1) The program may work in a stand-alone mode (at the DOS prompt), taking the name of your text file as an argument. To use such a program while editing, you need to save your file to disk, use the AltR command to run the speller on the disk file, and then use ^KL to reload the corrected file. You need to make sure the file is in the format expected by the program; if in doubt, ASCII (/A mode) is probably best. (2) The program may be loaded as a TSR (resident program) before running VDE; you then activate it with a "hot key" while editing in VDE, and it checks spelling either while you type, or by reading the text that is on screen. Most TSR programs require configuration before use with VDE, though installation should be similar to that for use with WordStar. Some TSR programs, including Turbo Lightning, will not work while editing in VDE unless you choose the VINST option "ignore enhanced keyboard" [see INSTALLATION]. More notes for Turbo Lightning users: The recommended "environment" for VDE in TL has both "Backspace keys" set to NONE, and the "Delete key" set to CtrlG. You will also need to use the "Insert/Overwrite setup" to locate the "Ins" toggle in VDE's header. Do not invoke TL when VDE's header is off or the screen size is other than 80x25, because it will get confused. To avoid flagging printer codes as spelling errors, enter preview mode (^OD) before using TL's "Check screen" function. ===================== 4. REVIEWS / ABOUT THE AUTHOR ======================== Here's a sampling of what REVIEWERS have had to say recently about VDE: "VDE is a word-processing program for people who like their programs lean, mean and simple... executes all the standard operations necessary for writing articles, books or screenplays... blazingly fast... Even the loading and storing of files is speedy." - Paul Ciotti, Los Angeles Times Magazine (18 March 1990) "This may be the finest piece of word processing code ever written. I have never been as impressed with anything as I have with VDE 1.5... writing software in 100 percent assembly language still pays off in performance and reduced code size. It's an astonishing product, believe me. It's more than the perfect laptop word processor. Actually, it's something that corporations should consider if they want to save tens of thousands of dollars... I cannot give a higher recommendation for any product that I have seen in ten years than I can for VDE 1.5. Top recommendation." - John Dvorak, PC Magazine (24 April 1990) "What fascinated Dvorak was not just the astonishing functionality achieved with very little programming code, but also the attitude -- and implications -- of the author who circulated it freely asking only for a modest sum for site licenses from corporate users. VDE is an amazing wordprocessor, offering almost everything except the layout and document processing features found in far fatter programs... it supports the old WordStar command set... ergonomically the most efficient I've ever learned." - Colin Brace, Language Technology/Electric Word (July/August 1990) ABOUT THE AUTHOR ERIC MEYER holds an A.B. in physics and a Ph.D. in history and philosophy of science, and has taught at the Universities of Indiana and Oklahoma. He has a longstanding interest in computers, and has dabbled in programming in HP-41, BASIC, FORTRAN, APL, LISP, C, and Z80 assembler; lately he has been writing utilities in 8086 assembler for the IBM PC. In a period of escalating software complexity and retail prices, he still believes it is important that useful, inexpensive software remain available to computer users worldwide. ====================================[end]=====================================